Ahmed Mohamed Nasser al Soofi was the poster child of a "moderate" Muslim. He just came to America, according to friends and relatives, for a better life and to take care of his family. Character references were in abundant supply, as we were told how honest he was and how harmless he was. Why, he worked at a convenience store in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. How dangerous could he be? He wouldn't hurt a fly, we were told.

In other words, he is the poster child of the Muslims we're told represent most Muslims in America, the ones that are on the side of freedom and pose no threat to our national security.

The Associated Press, by the way, never gets around to mentioning his religious affiliation at all. And in their original story, the AP didn't even give the names of the two suspects involved until the fifth or sixth paragraph, likely because their names are clearly Arabic. Nope, no bias in the out-of-the-mainstream media here that I can detect at all.

Well, all was fine with al Soofi until he boarded a plane in Birmingham, Alabama with luggage that contained a cell phone taped to a Pepto-Bismol bottle, multiple cell phones and watches taped together, and a knife and box cutter.

Inexplicably, the people who are supposed to keep us safe in the air, the TSA, spotted the stuff in his suitcase, examined it, and decided there was nothing to worry about here, move along. He was allowed to board the plane and continue his journey.

It wasn't until he sent his bag on ahead to Washington, D.C. while he changed his itinerary at the last minute and got on a plane for Amsterdam that officials got concerned. They had to call the plane with his bag on it back to the gate. In other words, they were perfectly willing to let the plane take off with this suspicious luggage as long as he was on board, as if suicide bombers don't exist and the Christmas Day bomber who tried to blow up his underwear and 270 passengers was just a figment of our collective imagination.

Now if I or any member of my family was on that plane from Birmingham to Chicago, and I found out that they let al Soofi and his luggage on board knowing it contained a cell phone taped to a bottle of liquid and a knife and a box cutter, I'd be absolutely furious right about now.

Our vigilant protectors at Homeland Security have already decided this wasn't a dry run for a terrorist attack, as if everybody tapes cell phones to bottles of liquid when they fly.

The president's spokesman confessed that the two men arrested in Amsterdam — al Soofi and another man by the name of Hezam al Murisi — are not on anybody's watch list, which is up to about 20,000 names by now. Al Murisi only changed his destination to a different continent at the very last minute — which people do every day, of course — and so naturally did nothing that should arouse anyone's suspicion.

And security officials assure us that they apparently are not a part of any terror network, as if the presence of rogue jihadists among us such as these two shouldn't alarm anybody.

All that means is that we have no way of knowing which Muslim is going to be the source of the next terrorist threat.

What officials don't realize is the fact al Soofi apparently acted on his own makes the case against the theory that there are any truly moderate Muslims in America crumble like a cheap Bedouin tent in a mild breeze.

In other words, al Soofi was a classic moderate Muslim, someone we're told is not a threat to anyone, not a part of any terrorist cell, is a follower of the religion of peace and a man who only wants to contribute to America and realize the American dream.

Now it looks like he was trying to figure out a way to blow 300 of us to kingdom come.

The bottom line is this: if we can't even trust "moderate" Muslims, which members of the Islamic persuasion can we trust? If a convenience store clerk in Tuscaloosa can go jihadi on us with no warning, how many other Muslims like him do we have to worry about?

The constant, constant danger is that a "moderate" Muslim may suddenly begin to take his religion seriously and get about the business of blasting some of us infidels to our final reward as his god and his religion teaches him to do. If a guy like al Soofi can't be trusted, then no "moderate" Muslim in America can be trusted. We have to be cautious with them all.

(Unless otherwise noted, the opinions expressed are the author's and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Family Association or American Family Radio.)

Bryan Fischer

Bryan Fischer is the host of the daily 'Focal Point' radio talk program on AFR Talk, a division of the American Family Association. 'Focal Point' airs live from 1-3 pm Central Time, and is also simulcast on the AFA Channel, which can be seen on the Sky Angel network.